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D.J. Short

Waiver Wired

Shake the Sheets

While we're all twiddling our thumbs waiting for a major trade to go down, there are a couple of interesting closer situations brewing around the majors.

Santiago Casilla blew his fifth save in his last seven chances last night against the Braves by giving up a game-tying two-run homer to Brian McCann in the 10th inning. He ended up getting the win after the Giants rallied for six runs in the top of the 11th, so it wasn't a complete lost cause for fantasy owners, but manager Bruce Bochy said after the game that he will consider making a change at closer.

Sergio Romo (Yahoo: 39 percent owned, ESPN: 22.6 percent) is unquestionably the best pitcher in San Francisco's bullpen and could get some save chances in the days ahead, but the Giants have been reluctant to give him a full-time crack at the closer role, likely because they don't want to risk the health of his throwing elbow. Jeremy Affeldt (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent) and Javier Lopez (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent) are also options, but probably only in certain matchups. With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants end up acquiring a reliever (Brett Myers, Francisco Rodriguez, Huston Street, Jonathon Broxton, Grant Balfour or Brandon Lyon, just to name a few) before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Nationals' closer Tyler Clippard has also looked a bit vulnerable recently, albeit to a lesser degree. The bespectacled right-hander blew a save Tuesday against the Mets by giving up a three-run homer to Jordany Valdespin and while he bounced back to notch a save on Wednesday, he served up solo homers to David Wright and Jason Bay.

Clippard still owns a 2.83 ERA and 51/17 K/BB ratio this season and is 15-for-17 in save opportunities, so he deserves some rope here, but it's worth noting that the Nationals activated Drew Storen (Yahoo: 67 percent owned, ESPN: 50.3 percent) from the disabled list on Thursday morning. Storen saved 43 games last year while posting a 2.75 ERA, so he could find himself back in the closer role if he bounces back from elbow surgery and/or if Clippard continues to scuffle. While Storen is over my 50 percent ownership threshold for the purposes of this column, he may still be available in some shallow mixed leagues.

I'll be honest when I say that I snickered a bit when I saw the Braves had signed Sheets. I mean, we're talking about a guy who hasn't been effective since 2008 and sat out all of last season recovering from major elbow surgery. However, I'm happy to eat some crow here, as the 34-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits over six shutout innings in a win over the Mets on Sunday. Sheets is a poor bet to hold up physically and had a 4.53 ERA over 20 starts with the A's during his last stint in the majors back in 2010, but he's worth a flier in most mixed fantasy leagues.

It looks like Boesch is on one of his patented streaks again. The 27-year-old outfielder went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Angels and is hitting .395 (15-for-38) with two homers, five doubles and 11 RBI in 11 games this month. While Boesch has been a disappointment to those who were counting on him as a sleeper this season, he should be started in fantasy leagues as long as he's swinging a hot bat.

After John Axford blew his sixth save of the season on Monday night, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced that "The Ax Man" was being pulled from the closer role and Rodriguez would get a chance to fill in. K-Rod has saved two games since then -- and boy were they an adventure -- but he managed to get the job done. In other words, it's not unlike most of his other save opportunities over the years. It's unclear whether this is just a temporary move, but even if it is, Rodriguez could find himself closing games if he is dealt to certain contenders in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Werth was well on his way to a rebound season before he broke his left wrist while trying to make a sliding catch against the Phillies back on May 6. However, he managed to take a full round of batting practice for the first time on Wednesday and is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with High-A Potomac. This puts him on pace to rejoin the Nationals in the early part of August. It's fair to wonder if the wrist will affect his power the rest of the way, but he should still be stashed on a DL spot in most formats.

Last week I recommended Juan Carlos Oviedo as a possibility to take over the closer role from the struggling Heath Bell in Miami, but he sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during a minor league tuneup game over the weekend and is considered doubtful to pitch this year. While left-hander Michael Dunn notched a save on Monday and should get a look in certain matchups, Oviedo's injury clears the way for Cishek to lead Ozzie Guillen's closer-by-committee. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 2.08 ERA, 39 strikeouts over 39 innings and a ground ball rate of 55.3 percent this season. He's plenty worthy of your attention.

I mentioned Cain in Waiver Wired about a month ago just as he was beginning a minor league rehab assignment, but it seems he is still flying under the radar in many fantasy leagues. It's time to change that. The 26-year-old center fielder is batting .474 (9-for-19) with two homers, two doubles, six RBI and six runs scored in six games since returning from the disabled list last week. With his speed and surprising pop, there's still time for him to justify his status as a draft day sleeper.

Ross' ownership numbers took a bit of a tumble after Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford returned from the disabled list, but fantasy owners would be wise to take another look. The 31-year-old had a huge game Wednesday against the White Sox, slugging two homers and driving in six runs as part of a 10-1 victory. While the Red Sox outfield is pretty crowded right now, David Ortiz's stint on the disabled list should provide some short-term flexibility out of the DH spot. Ross is best utilized in a daily league, as he figures to get most of his at-bats against left-handed starting pitchers.

It looked like Samardzija was hitting the wall in his first season as a starting pitcher in the major leagues, but he has turned things around a bit recently. The 27-year-old right-hander tossed six innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's win over the Marlins and has a 2.37 ERA and 24/6 K/BB ratio in 19 innings across three starts this month. The Cubs could decide to shut Samardzija down at a certain point later this summer, but he should remain a fine source of strikeouts in the interim.

Matt Capps went back on the disabled list this week with rotator cuff issues and Twins general manager Terry Ryan admitted Wednesday that the veteran right-hander could be shut down "for a while." This means we'll continue to see Burton and Glen Perkins handle the late innings. Perkins is the superior pitcher and has the higher strikeout rate, but as I said a few weeks ago, Burton gets a slight edge here because he throws from the right side. If you have any doubts, just look at how Ron Gardenhire used them in Tuesday's game. Still, both should be owned if you need saves.

There's no telling where Amarista will play on any given night, but he continues to hit no matter where the Padres put him in the lineup. The diminutive utility man is hitting .390 (23-for-59) with four home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI and two stolen bases over his last 16 games and has raised his season batting average from .222 to .298 in the process. While the Padres value his versatility, he has made a strong case to start over Everth Cabrera at shortstop. With his speed and multi-position eligibility, he's well worth snagging if you need a MI (middle infielder) option.

Soto's struggles have led to Steve Clevenger taking away some at-bats against right-handed pitching, but the past few days have provided reason for optimism. The 29-year-old backstop had a go-ahead single in Wednesday's win over the Marlins and is hitting .346 (9-for-26) with one home run, two doubles and four RBI over his last seven games. Soto hasn't crushed southpaws this season like he usually does, but at least he has a lengthy history of doing so. With his value at rock bottom, he makes for a nice gamble in deeper leagues and two-catcher formats.

Joey Votto is expected to miss three to four weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair the torn medial meniscus cartilage in his left knee. While this is a crushing blow to the Reds as they try to keep pace in the National League Central, the injury opens the door for Frazier to play regularly at first base. The 26-year-old has managed to remain under the radar in fantasy leagues, despite hitting .277/.343/.554 with 10 homers, 30 RBI and an .896 OPS in 216 plate appearances this season. Scott Rolen isn't exactly the model of durability at this point of his career, so Frazier has a good chance of keeping his value even after Votto returns.

Another player getting a shot due to injury, Gose was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas this week after Jose Bautista was placed on the disabled list with left wrist inflammation. Ranked as the game's No. 39 prospect on Baseball America's midseason list, Gose was hitting .292/.375/.432 with five home runs, 18 doubles, 10 triples, 29 stolen bases and an .808 OPS through 92 games this season prior to his call-up. The 21-year-old outfielder has a penchant for the strikeout, so his first stint in the majors could be a bumpy ride, but his speed makes him worth a flier for anyone on the lookout for stolen bases.

While we're all twiddling our thumbs waiting for a major trade to go down, there are a couple of interesting closer situations brewing around the majors.

Santiago Casilla blew his fifth save in his last seven chances last night against the Braves by giving up a game-tying two-run homer to Brian McCann in the 10th inning. He ended up getting the win after the Giants rallied for six runs in the top of the 11th, so it wasn't a complete lost cause for fantasy owners, but manager Bruce Bochy said after the game that he will consider making a change at closer.

Sergio Romo (Yahoo: 39 percent owned, ESPN: 22.6 percent) is unquestionably the best pitcher in San Francisco's bullpen and could get some save chances in the days ahead, but the Giants have been reluctant to give him a full-time crack at the closer role, likely because they don't want to risk the health of his throwing elbow. Jeremy Affeldt (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent) and Javier Lopez (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent) are also options, but probably only in certain matchups. With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants end up acquiring a reliever (Brett Myers, Francisco Rodriguez, Huston Street, Jonathon Broxton, Grant Balfour or Brandon Lyon, just to name a few) before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Nationals' closer Tyler Clippard has also looked a bit vulnerable recently, albeit to a lesser degree. The bespectacled right-hander blew a save Tuesday against the Mets by giving up a three-run homer to Jordany Valdespin and while he bounced back to notch a save on Wednesday, he served up solo homers to David Wright and Jason Bay.

Clippard still owns a 2.83 ERA and 51/17 K/BB ratio this season and is 15-for-17 in save opportunities, so he deserves some rope here, but it's worth noting that the Nationals activated Drew Storen (Yahoo: 67 percent owned, ESPN: 50.3 percent) from the disabled list on Thursday morning. Storen saved 43 games last year while posting a 2.75 ERA, so he could find himself back in the closer role if he bounces back from elbow surgery and/or if Clippard continues to scuffle. While Storen is over my 50 percent ownership threshold for the purposes of this column, he may still be available in some shallow mixed leagues.

I'll be honest when I say that I snickered a bit when I saw the Braves had signed Sheets. I mean, we're talking about a guy who hasn't been effective since 2008 and sat out all of last season recovering from major elbow surgery. However, I'm happy to eat some crow here, as the 34-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits over six shutout innings in a win over the Mets on Sunday. Sheets is a poor bet to hold up physically and had a 4.53 ERA over 20 starts with the A's during his last stint in the majors back in 2010, but he's worth a flier in most mixed fantasy leagues.

It looks like Boesch is on one of his patented streaks again. The 27-year-old outfielder went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Angels and is hitting .395 (15-for-38) with two homers, five doubles and 11 RBI in 11 games this month. While Boesch has been a disappointment to those who were counting on him as a sleeper this season, he should be started in fantasy leagues as long as he's swinging a hot bat.

After John Axford blew his sixth save of the season on Monday night, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced that "The Ax Man" was being pulled from the closer role and Rodriguez would get a chance to fill in. K-Rod has saved two games since then -- and boy were they an adventure -- but he managed to get the job done. In other words, it's not unlike most of his other save opportunities over the years. It's unclear whether this is just a temporary move, but even if it is, Rodriguez could find himself closing games if he is dealt to certain contenders in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Werth was well on his way to a rebound season before he broke his left wrist while trying to make a sliding catch against the Phillies back on May 6. However, he managed to take a full round of batting practice for the first time on Wednesday and is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with High-A Potomac. This puts him on pace to rejoin the Nationals in the early part of August. It's fair to wonder if the wrist will affect his power the rest of the way, but he should still be stashed on a DL spot in most formats.

Last week I recommended Juan Carlos Oviedo as a possibility to take over the closer role from the struggling Heath Bell in Miami, but he sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during a minor league tuneup game over the weekend and is considered doubtful to pitch this year. While left-hander Michael Dunn notched a save on Monday and should get a look in certain matchups, Oviedo's injury clears the way for Cishek to lead Ozzie Guillen's closer-by-committee. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 2.08 ERA, 39 strikeouts over 39 innings and a ground ball rate of 55.3 percent this season. He's plenty worthy of your attention.

I mentioned Cain in Waiver Wired about a month ago just as he was beginning a minor league rehab assignment, but it seems he is still flying under the radar in many fantasy leagues. It's time to change that. The 26-year-old center fielder is batting .474 (9-for-19) with two homers, two doubles, six RBI and six runs scored in six games since returning from the disabled list last week. With his speed and surprising pop, there's still time for him to justify his status as a draft day sleeper.

Ross' ownership numbers took a bit of a tumble after Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford returned from the disabled list, but fantasy owners would be wise to take another look. The 31-year-old had a huge game Wednesday against the White Sox, slugging two homers and driving in six runs as part of a 10-1 victory. While the Red Sox outfield is pretty crowded right now, David Ortiz's stint on the disabled list should provide some short-term flexibility out of the DH spot. Ross is best utilized in a daily league, as he figures to get most of his at-bats against left-handed starting pitchers.

It looked like Samardzija was hitting the wall in his first season as a starting pitcher in the major leagues, but he has turned things around a bit recently. The 27-year-old right-hander tossed six innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's win over the Marlins and has a 2.37 ERA and 24/6 K/BB ratio in 19 innings across three starts this month. The Cubs could decide to shut Samardzija down at a certain point later this summer, but he should remain a fine source of strikeouts in the interim.

Matt Capps went back on the disabled list this week with rotator cuff issues and Twins general manager Terry Ryan admitted Wednesday that the veteran right-hander could be shut down "for a while." This means we'll continue to see Burton and Glen Perkins handle the late innings. Perkins is the superior pitcher and has the higher strikeout rate, but as I said a few weeks ago, Burton gets a slight edge here because he throws from the right side. If you have any doubts, just look at how Ron Gardenhire used them in Tuesday's game. Still, both should be owned if you need saves.

There's no telling where Amarista will play on any given night, but he continues to hit no matter where the Padres put him in the lineup. The diminutive utility man is hitting .390 (23-for-59) with four home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI and two stolen bases over his last 16 games and has raised his season batting average from .222 to .298 in the process. While the Padres value his versatility, he has made a strong case to start over Everth Cabrera at shortstop. With his speed and multi-position eligibility, he's well worth snagging if you need a MI (middle infielder) option.

Soto's struggles have led to Steve Clevenger taking away some at-bats against right-handed pitching, but the past few days have provided reason for optimism. The 29-year-old backstop had a go-ahead single in Wednesday's win over the Marlins and is hitting .346 (9-for-26) with one home run, two doubles and four RBI over his last seven games. Soto hasn't crushed southpaws this season like he usually does, but at least he has a lengthy history of doing so. With his value at rock bottom, he makes for a nice gamble in deeper leagues and two-catcher formats.

Joey Votto is expected to miss three to four weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair the torn medial meniscus cartilage in his left knee. While this is a crushing blow to the Reds as they try to keep pace in the National League Central, the injury opens the door for Frazier to play regularly at first base. The 26-year-old has managed to remain under the radar in fantasy leagues, despite hitting .277/.343/.554 with 10 homers, 30 RBI and an .896 OPS in 216 plate appearances this season. Scott Rolen isn't exactly the model of durability at this point of his career, so Frazier has a good chance of keeping his value even after Votto returns.

Another player getting a shot due to injury, Gose was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas this week after Jose Bautista was placed on the disabled list with left wrist inflammation. Ranked as the game's No. 39 prospect on Baseball America's midseason list, Gose was hitting .292/.375/.432 with five home runs, 18 doubles, 10 triples, 29 stolen bases and an .808 OPS through 92 games this season prior to his call-up. The 21-year-old outfielder has a penchant for the strikeout, so his first stint in the majors could be a bumpy ride, but his speed makes him worth a flier for anyone on the lookout for stolen bases.

The Rockies were reluctant to rely on Marco Scutaro everyday at shortstop with Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list, especially with the 36-year-old floating in trade rumors, so they called up Rutledge from Double-A Tulsa last week. The 23-year-old has played well in a limited sample thus far, batting .300 (6-for-20) with two doubles, one triple, two stolen bases and an .848 OPS through six games. Rutledge was a .320/.374/.496 hitter over 211 minor league games and has flashed some speed and pop, so he's a strong buy in NL-only formats at the moment.

Forsythe doesn't have a clear path to playing time at the moment, but he's doing his best to force Bud Black's hand. The 25-year-old has hit safely in seven out of his last eight games and while he was hitless in three-bats on Wednesday against the Padres, he did draw a pair of walks. Forsythe's patience is his best attribute, as he has compiled a .414 on-base percentage and 285/229 K/BB ratio over parts of five seasons in the minors. He's worth owning while he's swinging a hot bat, but he could be a nice find if the Padres end up trading Chase Headley before the deadline.

Jason Castro was placed on the disabled list with what the Astros are calling right knee effusion. He's dealing with meniscus damage, but hopes to put off surgery until after the season. Snyder will be tasked with carrying the load behind the plate for now. The 31-year-old backstop is a .227 career hitter and is batting just .182 with 43 strikeouts in 137 at-bats this season, so there is some risk involved, but remember that he clubbed 15 home runs as recently as 2010 between the Diamondbacks and Pirates. Give him a flier in two-catcher formats.

Jed Lowrie's chance at a breakout season hit an unfortunate snag this week as he was diagnosed with a nerve issue in his leg and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Gonzalez, who was acquired from the Red Sox after being selected in December's Rule 5 Draft, should see most of the playing time at shortstop during his absence. The 23-year-old switch-hitter doesn't bring a lot to the table offensively, but he has a knack for making contact and could surprise by swiping a few bags. Let's be honest, sometimes playing time is king in single-league universes, so he's worth a look if you're really hurting for a MI (middle infielder) option.

The legend of Sam Fuld continues. When the 30-year-old outfielder underwent right wrist surgery in early April, the Rays weren't sure whether he would be able to contribute at all this season. However, he progressed well ahead of schedule and is currently on a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham. If all goes as planned, he should rejoin the Rays later this month. Remember that Fuld stole 20 bases in 105 games with the Rays last season, so his speed could give him some value in deeper leagues down the stretch, even in a reserve outfielder role.

There have been a number of rumors in recent days that the Mets are targeting Kelly Shoppach in a possible trade, so those in AL-only leagues would be wise to secure his potential replacement. Lavarnway has struggled a bit this month, but still has a respectable .294/.383/.447 batting line to go along with eight homers and an .830 OPS in 74 games with Triple-A Pawtucket this season. The 24-year-old may end up as first baseman/DH-type in the long run, but his power makes him worth stashing.

Francisco has been completely irrelevant in fantasy leagues this season, but Jose Bautista's wrist injury should pave the way for some additional playing time in the short-term. Top prospect outfielder Anthony Gose was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas this week and should start regularly against right-handed starting pitchers, but Francisco figures to see at-bats against southpaws. The 30-year-old has shown a bit of pop and speed in the past, so he makes sense if you need an outfielder and can make daily lineup changes.

These days, it's rare that a prospect comes out nowhere to surprise us. However, that's exactly what has happened with Straily in 2012. The 23-year-old right-hander wasn't included among the A's top 30 prospects by Baseball America coming into the season, yet he has a 2.64 ERA and a minor-league leading 162 strikeouts through 126 1/3 innings. This includes a microscopic 1.10 ERA and 54/10 K/BB ratio over 41 innings since being promoted from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Sacramento. Pretty impressive for the Pacific Coast League. With a low-90s fastball, slider and changeup in his arsenal, Straily should get his first taste of the big leagues later this summer. Stash in keeper leagues and put him on your watch list in AL-only formats.